Mandarin orange tree named &#39;GARBI&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct triploid  Citrus hybrida  cultivar is provided that is the product of controlled cross-pollination of two diploid parental plants. The new cultivar forms attractive obloid-shaped late-maturing substantially seedless fruit having an excellent mildly acidic flavor and a pleasant aroma. The leaves are dark green in coloration. The growth habit is vigorous and drooping.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Citrus hybrida/Mandarin Orange Tree

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. Garbi

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Citrus crops including Mandarin Oranges are recognized to be importantto the agricultural economy in many parts of the world.

The new hybrid Citrus cultivar of the present invention was createdduring the spring of 1996 at Moncada, Valencia, Spain, when two parentswere crossed which previously had been studied in the hope that theywould contribute the desired characteristics required to produce qualitylate-ripening seedless fruit. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent)was the ‘Fortune’ Mandarin cultivar (non-patented in the United States).‘Fortune’ is recognized to be a diploid formed by the hybridization ofC. clementina×C. tangerina. The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent)was the ‘Murcott’ tangor cultivar (non-patented in the United States).‘Murcott’ is a diploid of C. reticulata×C. sinensis. In order to achievethe cross, the anthers of the ‘Murcott’ tangor cultivar were removedfrom flowers collected during pre-anthesis and were dried in Petridishes over silica gel in a desiccator at −20° C. The controlledcross-pollination was carried out by applying one anther from the maleparental plant to a receptive stigma of flowers of approximately 100female parental plants. From these female parental plants, 45 fruitswere collected that contained 129 small seeds. Embryos numbering 122were isolated from these seeds and were cultured in vitro. Small plantsnumbering 116 were recovered and were maintained. When analyzed by theuse of flow cytometry, each of the small plants was confirmed to be atriploid. The resulting plants were transferred to standard potting mixand were grown under greenhouse conditions until September, 1998. Eachplant next was grafted on ‘Carrizo’ Citrange rootstock (non-patented inthe United States), which is recognized to be a cross of C.sinensis×Poncinus trifoliate, and was planted in the field for detailedevaluation. These plants first flowered during the spring of 2002, and asingle plant of the present invention was selected during 2004, and wasfurther grafted (as described) for further evaluation. The new plantinitially was designated IVIA TRI 1.

It was found that the new triploid Mandarin Orange hybrid plant of thepresent invention displays the following combination of characteristics:

(a) displays a vigorous and drooping growth habit,

(b) forms dark green leaves, and

(c) forms attractive substantially homogeneous easy-to-peelobloid-shaped late-maturing fruit having a large diameter which issubstantially seedless with an excellent mildly acidic flavor and apleasant aroma.

The new cultivar readily can be distinguished from its parentalcultivars. More specifically, each parent plant is a diploid, unlike thetriploid character of the new cultivar of the present invention.

The new cultivar also can be readily distinguished from the ‘Safor’cultivar (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. ______, filedconcurrently herewith). The ‘Safor’ cultivar displays a more erectdrooping growth habit and forms fruit of medium-late maturity whereasthe present cultivar forms fruit of late maturity.

The asexual reproduction of the new cultivar of the present invention bygrafting on ‘Carrizo’ rootstock at Moncada, Valencia, Spain, hasconfirmed that the combination of characteristics is stable and isstrictly transmissible by such asexual propagation from one generationto another. Accordingly, the new cultivar of the present inventionundergoes asexual propagation in a true-to-type manner.

The new plant of the present invention has been named ‘Garbi’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make in color illustrations of this character, typicalspecimens of the new cultivar. The plant was grown at Moncada, Valencia,Spain, and was grafted on ‘Carrizo’ rootstock.

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical tree on Jan. 7, 2008 at an age ofapproximately three years and six months. The drooping growth habit isillustrated.

FIG. 2 illustrates typical attractive fruit on Feb. 28, 2007. The fruitflesh is shown in cross-section at the bottom and external views of thefruit are shown at the top. The substantially uniform and homogeneousappearance of the fruit is illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description is based on the observation of plant of the new cultivarwhile grafted on ‘Carrizo’ rootstock and growing outdoors at Moncada,Valencia, Spain. The chart used in the identification of colors is thatof The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S. Colour Chart), London,England. Common color terms are to be accorded their customarydictionary significance.

-   Classification: Citrus hybrida.-   Tree:    -   -   Ploidy.—triploid.        -   Growth habit.—vigorous, drooping, and commonly            obloid-shaped.        -   Height.—commonly approximately 2.8 m on average at an age of            five years.        -   Width.—commonly approximately 2.1 m on average at an age of            five years.        -   Trunk diameter.—commonly approximately 7 cm on average at an            age of five years measured 40 cm above the ground.        -   Bark.—brown in coloration.        -   Bark strength.—somewhat fragile.        -   Thorns.—dense and long, approximately 30 mm in length on            main branches, and new branches commonly bear thorns near            approximately 80 percent of the buds having lengths of            approximately 7.2 mm on average.-   Leaves:    -   -   Bearing.—evergreen.        -   Size.—commonly approximately 11.5 cm in length on average,            and approximately 3.8 cm in width on average at the widest            point.        -   Configuration.—somewhat oblong.        -   Apex.—acute.        -   Margins.—crenate.        -   Petiole.—commonly approximately 13.6 mm in length on average            with small wings.        -   Color.—dark green, Green Group 139A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Time.—commonly during April at Moncada, Valencia, Spain.        -   Type.—solitary in a raceme arrangement at axillary and            terminal positions.        -   Petals.—five.        -   Color.—white, White Group 155C.        -   Pollen.—largely sterile with about 0.4 percent of the pollen            grains being capable of germinating using in vitro culture            during observations to date when compared to more than 82            percent for the female parent ‘Fortune’ Mandarin cultivar.-   Fruit:    -   -   Time of maturity.—late, commonly mid-February to the end of            April at Moncada, Valencia, Spain.        -   Size.—commonly 58 mm in height on average, and approximately            65 to 70 mm (i.e., approximately 69 mm on average) in            diameter.        -   Configuration.—obloid, circular in shape in transverse            section, broadest part at the middle, absent a neck,            generally the shape at the proximal end is slightly rounded,            with general absence of any substantial depression at stalk            end, with absence of or with few radial grooves at the stalk            end, with absence of radial grooves at distal end, with            absence of a collar, and somewhat flattened at distal end            with the presence of a slight depression.        -   Stylar scar.—medium in diameter, and with no persistence of            style.        -   External color.—medium orange, near Orange Group 25A. The            coloration is similar to that of ‘Clemenules’ Clementine            (non-patented in the United States).        -   Surface texture.—generally smooth with strong glossiness.        -   Oil glands.—more or less uniform in size with absence of            pitting and pebbling and with a pleasant aroma.        -   Internal flesh coloration.—near Orange Group 25A.        -   Rind.—thin, easy-to-peel, commonly approximately 2.8 mm in            thickness on average, with medium adherence to the flesh,            medium in strength, and medium in oiliness.        -   Core.—medium in diameter.        -   Flesh segments.—medium in number, commonly approximately 10            or 11 well-developed segments per fruit, with medium            coherence of adjacent wall segments, with elongated juice            vesicles, and with medium thickness of juice vesicles.        -   Navel.—absent or very rare.        -   Parthenocarpy.—seedless fruit typically is formed, or with            very few seeds on rare occasions.        -   Eating quality.—texture of segments renders the fruit easy            to eat with the presence of a high quality juice and a            pleasant aroma.        -   Juice content.—commonly approximately 48 percent at            maturity.        -   Acidity.—lightly acidic, with approximately 1.8 percent acid            concentration at maturity, and with near 18° Brix.        -   Pulp texture.—strong.        -   Fruit productivity.—similar to that of the parental            ‘Fortune’ and ‘Murcott’ cultivars.-   Development:    -   -   Resistance to diseases.—during observations to date is            tolerant to Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV) and Alternaria spp.        -   Resistance to pests.—is susceptible to aphids, mites, and            scales that commonly are present with Mandarin Orange trees.        -   Winter hardiness.—similar to that of the parental ‘Fortune’            and ‘Murcott’ cultivars.        -   Resistance to heat.—similar to that of the parental            ‘Fortune’ and ‘Murcott’ cultivars.

The new ‘Garbi’ cultivar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensityand duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions.

1. A triploid Mandarin Orange hybrid plant having the followingcombination of characteristics: (a) displays a vigorous and droopinggrowth habit, (b) forms dark green leaves, and (c) forms attractivesubstantially homogeneous easy-to-peel obloid-shaped late-maturing fruithaving a large diameter which is substantially seedless with anexcellent mildly acidic flavor and a pleasant aroma; substantially asherein shown and described.